


In My Life

by Velichorr



Series: VWverse: In Sunlight and Shadow [2]
Category: Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Banter, Belligerent Sexual Tension, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Non-Chronological, Prompt Fic, Slice of Life, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:34:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23453320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velichorr/pseuds/Velichorr
Summary: A collection of short, prompt-based fics about Hans and Sylvia. Yes, these will mostly be fluff, and relatively light on plot. Modern AU unless otherwise stated! Title may change later, I'm not completely happy with it.
Relationships: Hans Landa/Original Female Character(s)
Series: VWverse: In Sunlight and Shadow [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1684861
Comments: 12
Kudos: 10





	1. Taking Charge

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Velvet Waltz](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20592395) by [AttendezlaCreme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AttendezlaCreme/pseuds/AttendezlaCreme). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hans has work today, but Sylvia has other plans.
> 
> Inspired by this prompt: Imagine Person B of your OTP not letting Person A get out of bed by cuddling them

“Angel, please, don’t do this to me. I am a patient man, but even I have my limits!” Hans looked at Sylvia pleadingly. They were lying in bed together, bodies entwined. She held him so tightly he couldn’t exactly get free. Normally he wouldn’t have minded, but today was a weekday…

“You **do** know I have work today. It wouldn’t reflect well on me if I were late.” Hans tried again.

“Oh, I know. I just don’t **care!** ” Sylvia shot back, laughing. She lay back against the pillows, hair spread out around her. Hans instinctively ran a hand through it.

“This _is_ very nice,” he admitted, feeling his resistance starting to weaken. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her against him. He would gladly hold her all morning if only he weren’t running late to work.

After an interval, Hans sighed and said: “…All right, all right, I’ll stay for five more minutes- _five minutes only._ For God’s sake, Sylvia, get that look off your face!”

Now she was just gloating at him. “I like ordering you around. I like it a lot.”

Hans rolled his eyes. “Don’t get used to it.” He said, just the slightest bit teasingly.

“We’ll see about that.” She winked at him and nibbled at his neck. He felt her mouth and teeth graze his skin. Hans hadn’t been expecting that, which made it feel even better.

“Then I suppose I am your willing captive, for however long you have me.” Hans lay back against her, finally conceding defeat. God, he loved being in her arms. It was almost an addiction.

Neither of them were dressed yet, buried under the mountain of blankets. Sunlight filtered in through the bedroom window. The longer he stayed here, the harder it was to leave. He’d grown so used to her smile, her laugh, her warm presence beside him. He was loathe to leave her, even for his eight-hour workday. The experience of being this attached to someone was still very new to him.

A small part of Hans felt guilty for delaying, but he would have to deal with that later. For now…This was the most important thing.


	2. Rainy Days and Mondays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Imagine your OTP walking home after going to dinner on a rainy night.
> 
> Bonus: They don’t have an umbrella, so they’re foolishly running through the rain. Person A is grumpy about the weather at first, but Person B loves the rain and is giggling as they run through, and Person A eventually finds themselves smiling at Person B’s childish behavior.

When Hans and Sylvia emerged from the restaurant, it was pouring. It seemed more like a flood than any normal rainstorm, instantly drenching them.

Hans cursed under his breath, looking more than a little annoyed. “We should have brought an umbrella.”

Sylvia gave him a wry half-smile. “There was no need to. It was fine when we got here.”

Hans sighed. “Still, it never does hurt to be prepared. Especially in case of unforeseen circumstances…” he gazed up at the sky. It was blocked out by dark, charcoal gray clouds, the sun nowhere in sight.

As they stepped onto the street, they were pelted with even more rain. It drenched the streets and streamed into the gutters. At least they were not too far from home. They saw a few other people on the streets, also in a hurry to get home- at least _they_ had umbrellas. Cars sped by in the background, their taillights glowing red blurs.

At first, Hans and Sylvia just walked together in silence. Then Sylvia darted ahead of him, laughing, the water splashing against her shoes.

Hans just shook his head. “Sylvia!” he called after her. “Sylvia, what are you **doing?!** You’re making a complete fool of yourself!”

Sylvia stopped in her tracks. Now she looked guilty, more than a little embarrassed. Her wet hair was stick-straight and plastered to her shoulders. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that… I actually love rain. Running through the rain makes me feel like a kid again.”

Hans listened, neither judging nor condoning. Just taking in her words. “I see. My apologies if I seemed rude- I didn’t mean to _scold_ you. But I want nothing more than to get out of this rain.” He played with the lapel of his saturated coat. “But don’t let me stop you, angel. If that’s what makes you happy…”

She tilted her head slightly, smiling at him. “That’s good to know, but I don’t need your approval. God, Hans, you are so _serious._ Sometimes I wonder if you’ve ever had fun!”

Hans glared at her. “I have, thank you very much. I just don’t see the point in being loose and uninhibited…”

Sylvia had taken off again. Hans walked a bit faster, trying to keep up with her. Try as he might, he couldn’t stay serious and severe forever. It wasn’t long before he found himself smiling. He had always loved the sound of her laughter. It was the most beautiful thing to him. She seemed younger and freer this way, her coat soaked and clinging, hair streaming down her back…

When Hans finally caught up with her, he took her hand. “I love you, even if you are a troublemaker.”

Sylvia grinned at him. “No, you love me _because_ I’m a troublemaker.”

“I stand corrected.” Hans scoffed, but his tone was playful.

And of course, she was right.

They arrived at Sylvia’s building. Just as they started walking up the front steps, Hans pulled her to him and lightly brushed his lips against hers. Damn the rain. In that moment, this was all he cared about.


	3. Good Times, Bad Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Imagine your OTP have just started dating, and Person A is a smoker. Person B hates smoking, however, so Person A decides to quit for person B. (Take it however you like from there.)

Sylvia would never forget their first date. They agreed to meet at a fancy restaurant she had never heard of in the Upper West Side. Getting ready had been a painstaking and meticulous process. She dressed more formally, wearing heels, and a sleeveless navy shirtwaist dress with a pointed collar. She spent what felt like hours working on her hair and makeup. Normally, Sylvia wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble. But she got a feeling this wasn’t a place you should go to dressed like a slob. And she didn’t want to make a bad impression on Hans, either. There was a _lot_ riding on this date, and in all honesty, she was a nervous wreck.

When Sylvia arrived at the restaurant, she found Hans already sitting at a table and waiting for her. Relieved, she carefully made her way there and sat down- walking in heels was not exactly the easiest thing in the world.

“Hi,” she greeted him, propping herself up on her elbows.

Hans studied her with a look of approval. “Hello, Sylvia. You certainly look lovely. Don’t tell me all this is for me…”

 _Am I really that obvious?_ Sylvia blew out a breath, feeling some of her confidence start to ebb away. “Um…Kind of? I wanted to make a good impression on you and, well, this seems like the kind of restaurant that has a dress code. I would have been the only one here in jeans and a t-shirt.”

Sylvia looked around the room. She couldn’t help but feel intimidated by all these rich assholes. And out of her element. God knew she’d covered enough lavish parties and benefits and dinners before, but this…This felt different. Because she didn’t quite fit in. She was an outlier.

Hans, much to her surprise, looked disappointed. “I would have preferred it if you did. I understand the need to impress, to clean yourself up a bit, but you don’t need to become someone else just to make me happy. Is that understood?” He reached across the table to rest a hand on hers.

At first, Sylvia could only blink. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. His touch was so comforting, and she hadn’t even known she’d wanted it. “Yes, I…I understand.” She leaned in closer and whispered: “Hans, I hate all these rich scumbags. I can almost _feel_ them judging me.”

The businessmen and politicians, the odd celebrity, their impossibly-attractive wives and mistresses.

Hans smiled slyly. He said in a low, conspiratorial voice: “I can’t stand this crowd either. In fact, I abhor them. You will never find a more narcissistic, hypocritical lot anywhere. Of course, this is strictly between you and myself- don’t tell them I said that!” he laughed.

“I won’t breathe a word.” Sylvia replied, deadly serious.

He withdrew his hand. “I knew I could count on you- you’re such a clever girl.”

Sylvia looked away, finding herself blushing at his praise. _He **really** knows how to push my buttons._ This was both a good thing and a bad thing.

Luckily, she was saved when a waiter came by to take their orders. They both ordered the steak dinner. And for drinks, Sylvia ordered wine, while Hans ordered…Milk.

Sylvia was taken aback. _Who orders milk at a place like this?!_ She thought, but not wanting to offend Hans, she didn’t comment on it. But the waiter must have felt the same way; he looked visibly surprised as he wrote it down.

Now that they were alone again, Hans got up. Sylvia saw a brief flash of silver- a lighter. He gave her a pained, apologetic smile. “One moment, angel. If you’ll just excuse me…”

He turned and started to walk away.

“You smoke.” She said flatly. It was a statement and not a question.

Hans gritted his teeth, sensing her disapproval. “I do, yes. It’s not something one can quit on a whim, or at the drop of a hat…Please, my dear girl, just restrain yourself. And don’t do anything rash while I’m gone. I’ll be back soon…”

He turned on his heel and left.

“Hans wait, please, I didn’t mean it that way…” She called after him, but he was either ignoring her or didn’t hear her.

For a moment, Sylvia wanted to follow him, talk to him, but that would not be a good idea. It would probably just make things worse. She slumped back against her chair, feeling more than a little ashamed. _I didn’t mean to be sanctimonious about it. Or an asshole. I just…I don’t know._ She thought.

Sylvia leaned forward slightly, perfectly-styled hair falling around her. Just before she’d accidentally fucked up everything, he called her angel. That was incredibly sweet. She liked it. She hoped he would get in the habit of calling her that. But first, she would have to apologize…

So she sat there and waited. She heard wine glasses clinking, strange snippets of conversations, piano music drifting over to her. It felt like an eternity before Hans finally returned. He seemed more relaxed now, much less tense. As he strode back to their table, Sylvia noticed his eyes seemed clearer and brighter.

“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“No, not bad at all.” Sylvia cleared her throat. “Hans, I…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound _judgmental._ I guess I was just a little surprised.”

Hans waved her off. “I see what you’re getting at, and it’s no matter. Really, it’s nothing. But I’ve been smoking since I was fifteen, and I can’t exactly quit at any time I want.” He had tried in the past, but had never gotten far. It was so ingrained in him it was difficult to quit. And he couldn’t deal with the accompanying headaches, insomnia, and foul moods.

“Would you quit for me?” she found herself asking, her voice soft and hesitant.

Hans looked at her with a sad, wry, smile. “I can _try,_ but I cannot guarantee anything. I’ve had enough false starts.”

Sylvia nodded slightly. “That’s all I can ask of you. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Who knows? Perhaps you’ll give me the motivation to finally do this. This will be an _interesting_ time either way.” Hans gazed off into the distance for a moment, looking contemplative. “Although this is not the first vice I’ve struggled with.” For just a moment, Sylvia saw something dark in his expression. But it was gone just as quickly. She decided not to press the matter. There was something painful there, for sure. Something that was not her business.

Soon after this, their dinner arrived. It was delicious, one of the best meals Sylvia ever had. She couldn’t help but feel fascinated as she watched Hans slowly drink his milk. After they were finished, they paid the bill and left the restaurant.

“I’m glad we had that conversation.” Sylvia said as they walked out into the dying sunlight, the red sun sinking lower and lower on the horizon.

“As am I, angel, as am I…” Hans reached into his pocket, pulled out his lighter and a cigarette, and lit up. There was a soft click, a hissing sound, as the flame met the cigarette.

“I know, and I’m sorry.” he said immediately. “But I am _trying,_ angel. I’m trying for you. And I think you’re more than worth it.”

“Thank you.” Sylvia breathed. She was normally not the most emotional woman, but now she found herself blinking back tears.

Hans chuckled. “What’s this? Tears? No tears, I insist…” he reached to brush them away. “You can’t hide anything from me, Sylvia.”

“No, you’re damn right I can’t. I hope we can see each other soon. Maybe somewhere a little more casual next time.” Sylvia suggested.

“Oh, that can certainly be arranged. Until next time…”

Like a gentleman, he walked her to her waiting Uber. And that was that. On the way home, Sylvia almost felt like she was lost in a pleasant dream. This date had not exactly gone the way she’d expected- far from it- but she wouldn’t have had it any other way. Maybe there really was something between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like Sylvia suspects, there's more to that story. ;) But that will have to wait for a later chapter...
> 
> Due to the short nature of these chapters, I'll try to update every day, but we'll see if I can keep up the momentum! Although I am absolutely winging this.


	4. Drunk on love...No, just drunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hans comes to Sylvia's rescue after she gets very drunk at a club.
> 
> Not prompt-based, but once this idea came into my head, I knew it was too good to pass up!

In retrospect, going clubbing with Hans may not have been her wisest decision. But Sylvia didn’t know that then. Soon after they arrived, they ended up drifting apart. Sylvia tried to ignore the twinge of jealousy when Hans went to chat up a group of young women. “I am **not** jealous. I’m not jealous at all…” she muttered under her breath. In the background, she heard the girls erupt into giggles. She stalked away.

Time passed in a blur. Sylvia spent some time at the dance floor and really enjoyed herself. Although, notably, she got into minor scuffles with a few men trying to hit on her. But she could hold her own. She didn’t need Hans to stand up for her. After that, she settled herself at the bar and helped herself to a drink. Then another. Then another. Before too long, she had completely lost count. When she was finally finished, her vision was hazy, and she felt so tired. Feeling the bile burning at the back of her throat, she fled to the bathroom to be sick. She stumbled once or twice in her stupor, but managed to make it there.

When Hans finally grew tired of socializing, he looked around for Sylvia, but she was nowhere to be seen. He did a brief tour of the room, but still couldn’t find her. And then it dawned on him. _She must be_ very _drunk. The poor thing is probably throwing up her own innards._ With a wicked smile on his lips, he went to check the bathroom. He could see one stall door had been left ajar. A wet, throaty, retching came from within.

The janitor was staring at him, no doubt startled by the presence of a man in the ladies’ room.

Hans was quick to explain himself: “Hello, there. Lovely evening we’re having, isn’t it? I’m here for my girlfriend. She’s, ah, _unwell._ Now, if you’ll just excuse me…”

He swept past him and entered the stall.

“There you are…”

Hans found Sylvia kneeling in front of the toilet, her hair a damp, stringy mess. He prodded her lightly with his foot. She didn’t move.

“Come, angel, let’s leave this den of iniquity…” He took her hand and hauled her to her feet. There was a strand of vomit dripping from her chin, which Hans wiped on his sleeve with a flourish.

She was as limp as a rag doll, her eyes half-open and slitted. If he weren’t propping her up, she would have collapsed to the floor.

“Whuh?” she slurred, looking at him with heavy eyes.

Hans clicked his tongue. “This won’t do at all…Ahh, well. Luckily for you- and me- I’ve always been rather good at improvising. Come on, _liebling,_ one step at a time. I am _not_ carrying you the entire way!”

Somehow, she found the strength to shuffle from the stall and out of the bathroom. One tiny and annoyingly slow step at a time. Then, finally, they made it outside to his car. Hans had to support her all the way there. Sylvia was slumped in the backseat, her head lolling back against the headrest. Dead to the world.

Hans had to repeat the process when he dropped her off at her apartment. By the time they entered, Sylvia was swaying unsteadily, so he had to carry her in his arms the rest of the way. He carefully laid her down on her bed. He briefly entertained the idea of changing her clothes, but then thought better of it. Then he walked back out into the night and was gone.

Sylvia awoke late the next morning, a Sunday. She had what was felt like the worst headache in the world. It was throbbing, overpowering, left her unable to think, even. She slowly opened her eyes to find she was still wearing last night’s clothes- now badly creased and rumpled.

She tried to get out of bed, only to crash to the floor, landing flat on her face. “Goddamnit!” She cursed aloud, even though there was no one to hear her.

One ibuprofen and several cups of coffee later, the night came back to her in strange fragments. Like a puzzle that didn’t quite fit together. They had been at a club. She had been drunk. Pass-out drunk, which was a rarity for her. She had a fuzzy image of being sick in the restroom, and then…Then what?

Sylvia frantically tried to remember. Yes, Hans had found her. But that was the last thing she remembered. Then she saw the note on her kitchen table. It simply read: _You were indisposed last night, so I took the liberty of being your designated driver. You’re welcome._ -H


	5. In the Still of the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Person A is in bed reading a book. Person B enters and climbs into bed with them. Without looking up person A raises their arm so that person B can crawl under and snuggle up with them. Person B falls asleep.

It was common for Sylvia to find Hans with his nose in a book. Especially late at night. Sylvia would slip in beside him in bed, and patiently wait for him to finish. He would get completely engrossed in his reading, and she tried not to interrupt unless she really had to. In its own way, it was relaxing. Nothing but the sound of their breathing, and of pages being turned. It was easy to tune out everything else.

One night, as Sylvia was getting into bed, Hans raised his arm so she could lay down next to him. And of course, she did, flopping beside him with a slight sigh. She rested her head on his shoulder.

“The Manson Family? That’s uplifting…” She remarked, glancing at the cover. It was black, with a red title scrawled across it: _Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders._ Sylvia was used to Hans reading such gruesome books at night. It was typical.

Hans, as always, was unruffled: “They were fascinating people living in a fascinating time. Certainly not commendable, but fascinating nonetheless.”

Sylvia studied him with a faint smile on her lips. “Well, as long as you’re happy…You know, you always seem to get lost in whatever you’re reading.”

Hans looked a little embarrassed. He said, almost sheepishly: “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to ignore you, it’s just one of those old habits that is proving fiendishly difficult to break….”

“It’s all right, it doesn’t bother me.” Sylvia assured him. “Just make some time for me when you’re done…”

“Ahh. That shouldn’t be too much of a challenge.” Hans had returned to his usual calm, confident self.

Sylvia was content to wait a little while longer. It was peaceful. The bed was warm and comfortable. The darkness was offset by soft, muted, lighting. When Hans was done reading, he put the book on the nightstand, and went to turn off the light. When he returned, Sylvia snuggled against him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“This is really nice.” She breathed, her voice the only sound in the darkness.

She drew the blanket a little tighter around them both.

“It is, although I fear you’ve domesticated me.”

Sylvia gave a muffled laugh. “I have, haven’t I?”

A long silence. There was something so intimate about lying in the darkness together. Her arms around him. The reassurance that he was there, right beside her.

When Sylvia thought Hans must have fallen asleep, he finally spoke: “I never thought I would enjoy settling down- if I settled down at all. I always thought that was something other men did. And here I am now. It’s very strange, how these things happen…” He sounded thoughtful. Reminiscent.

“It is.” She agreed. “But I’m glad it turned out this way.”

He said, in an unusually soft and gentle voice: “As am I, angel. This is working out very well for both of us…”

Before too long, they fell asleep together. Contented.


	6. The Water's Fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Imagine your OTP sneaks away for a weekend and hides out at the beach early in the spring when the water’s so cold. After spending the whole day on the sand Person A decides that Person B needs to go into the water with them. Cue Person A laughingly pulling Person B into the water while Person B screeches because of the cold.

Going to the beach had been Hans’ idea, and Sylvia was on board with it. It was a little early to be going- it was still early spring- but at least that meant it would not be too crowded. So they drove out there one Saturday morning. They walked along the boardwalk for a while, and got ice cream. Then, they changed into their bathing suits and went down to the beach.

They spread out their beach blanket by the water’s edge. There weren’t that many people on the beach, or in the water. But at this time of year, there usually weren’t. It was still a bit cool and windy, but in the sun it wasn’t so bad. They were content to just sit on the blanket and talk for a while, until Hans announced he was going for a swim.

“Have fun.” Sylvia said, a bit absently- she was in the middle of reading an article on her phone.

Hans smiled slyly at her, like he was plotting something- which he undoubtedly was. “Oh, no, no, no. Perhaps I should have been a bit more specific. _You’re_ going in with me…”

Sylvia just scoffed. “I think I’ll pass. It’s way too cold.”

“I insist.” He was trying to sound deadly serious, but a laugh still escaped him.

Hans gently took her in his arms and began walking toward the water.

“Hans, you’re crazy! You can’t be serious!” Sylvia protested. Every muscle in her body tensed as she clung to him. But she knew what was coming, and she was **not** going to like it…

Then he let go, and she was thrown into the freezing spring ocean. It felt like being thrown into a pool of ice water. A real shock to the system. She was gasping for breath at first, her wet arms covered with goosebumps.

“Hans, _goddamnit!_ ” she laughed, spitting out a mouthful of seawater. “That was just WRONG!”

He was as smug as ever: “How unfortunate. I’m terribly sorry you feel that way, but I don’t regret it.”

In an act of vengeance, she splashed him in the face and swam away. After a while, Sylvia began to get used to the bitterly cold water- at least they had the sun shining down on them. She hadn’t gone swimming in such a long time, and it felt so good to lose herself in the water, the sun warm against her skin. The air tasted sharp and salty, and the sky was impossibly blue.

Hans and Sylvia both felt a little regretful when they finally stepped back onto the sand. Somehow, it still hadn’t been enough time. They were both exhausted by the time they dried off and changed back into their clothes.

“I’m _still_ pissed at you for throwing me in…” Sylvia growled as they walked back to the car.

Hans smirked at her. “Is that so? I think I have **exactly** the solution…” He pulled her close and kissed her on the mouth. He could still smell the ocean on her skin, but he didn’t mind.

Sylvia was a little surprised at first, but eagerly returned it. They could taste each other. Soon, she began to moan with pleasure, but they broke apart before things got **too** heated.

This was as close to an apology as she would get from him, but she truly didn’t mind. The kiss had been so _satisfying._ “You know me too well.” Sylvia conceded, sounding just a little disgruntled.

“I do. I know _precisely_ what makes you tick, and I use it to my full advantage…” Hans boasted, putting an arm around her shoulder.

“One of these days I’m going to turn the tables on you.” Sylvia warned him, with a teasing smile. “And you won’t think it’s funny at all.”

“We’ll just have to see about that, won't we?”

On the drive home, Sylvia couldn’t stop thinking about what a great day it had been. Even if she _had_ been thrown in the ocean. They would have to come back sometime, when it was warmer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for everyone dreaming of summer- and for this damn virus to be over. Hang in there!


	7. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Imagine your OTP cuddling in a hammock on a hot summer day.

Hans and Sylvia lay on a rope hammock hung between two trees. They were surrounded by trees, soft green grass, and the endless blue sky above them. The air was rich and clean, with a slight breeze. A few feet away, their beers chilled in a plastic cooler. It was so good to be away from the chaos of the city. The noise. The grime. The claustrophobia. The whole nine yards. It was a relief to just escape from it all.

Was there anything better than this? _No. No, I don’t think so._ Sylvia thought.

“You know what I like about being away from the city?” Sylvia asked, just a bit teasingly.

“The fresh air? The rather refreshing lack of noise?” Hans guessed.

“Well, yeah, that too. But I was _going_ to say, you can actually see the stars!” Sylvia laughed hoarsely and pointed up at the sky. Though it was still early evening, a few stars could already be seen. The glinted like diamonds against the long streak of dark blue.

Hans shifted against her, draping an arm over her shoulder. “I can certainly see your point. I still keep forgetting how different Vienna is from your American cities. When I first came here years ago, you can imagine it was quite the shock.”

“Yeah, I bet it was.” Sylvia concurred.

The hammock swayed slightly underneath them. They just lay there in silence for a while. Neither of them wanted to go anywhere. When was the last time they had felt this relaxed? So free? With great difficulty, Sylvia got up from the hammock and began walking to the cooler.

“I think we should have our beers now,” she dug through the ice chips and pulled out two beer bottles.

“Excellent idea.” She heard Hans’ voice float over to her.

She went back to the hammock and handed him a bottle. As Sylvia climbed back on, she hesitated.

“What are we going to drink to?” she asked, holding her slick bottle.

“To the summer! What else?” Hans said in that smug, matter-of-fact way of his. He carefully sat up.

“To the summer.” Sylvia raised her bottle.

“Prost.”

They clinked bottles. Then, Hans and Sylvia took their time enjoying their cold beers together. When they were done drinking, they continued on like they had before. The sky darkened. They could see the sun beginning to set. Sylvia lay back against Hans, contented.

“I think I could get used to this.” She said quietly, a shy smile on her lips.

“Believe me, the feeling is mutual.” Hans’ voice was much softer, gentler, than usual. He seemed lost in thought.

And so they lay there, watching the stars. It was a muggy summer evening, but at least there was a breeze. The sky seemed to go on forever. A whole summer. Why did that feel like so much and so little at the same time? Still, they would do their best to make it last. It would be gone all too quickly. It was good to simply slow down and cherish every day.


End file.
